What is it about AM Radio?

[CentreBlock]

I've spent the last few days travelling, and while doing so I usually have the radio tuned to talk or sports, tune out music quickly, and intelligent conversation is always welcome on a long drive.

While bouncing around different stations, I ended up on 900 CHML, while listening I found myself awashed in ignorance from one Roy Green. It's not the first time I've heard such conduct from a radio host on the Corus Radio Network, I've listened to FNC approved Charles Adler in the past, and again drowned in ignorance. I thought perhaps he was the only one.

My question is, why is AM radio inhabited by their like, and in the US, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc?

Why can we not have an intelligent political discourse in this country? Roy Green's voice seeped in anger when he said the words "Liberal" "Global Warming" etc. What good does that do anyone? Disagree with the Liberalism? Fine - but argue on the merits.

The extreme Left is no better; they view Conservatives and neaderthals, morons, etc. For the most part this isn't true.

Am I too idealistic in the age of irony and realism? Should I turn in my reasonable person card, and join in the political bloodletting and boil everything down into mush?

I'm fed up with our public airways being used in this manner. Corus Entertainment should be ashamed to sell this product of ignorance and stupidity to the Canadian People.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I would guess these two fellows are on the radio because many people want
to listen to them, and because many people want to listen to them, then many
companies want to pay to advertise during their shows, generation lots of $$$
for this Corus Entertainment company....It's a vicious cycle that is perpetuated
by people tuning in to listen to these guys....and advertisers wanting the largest
audience to hear their adds, and so on and so forth....

 

[lone wolf]

AM? Heck, all I ever use that for any more is to listen for the static of a coming storm when I'm out in the boat....

 

[CentreBlock]

I think there is likely a large audience that are people who disagree. I couldn't turn off the drivvel (sp?)- and I hated it.

I think we as a society can do better.

Think Global Warming is a crock? Fine - but don't go off half cocked on conspiracies about the new world order. Argue the real merits of your arguments.

 

[lone wolf]

AM, like FM is largely syndicated - lowest cost to fill empty airwaves. AM, at the very bottom of the spectrum, has to take what it can.

 

[countryboy]

AM, like FM is largely syndicated - lowest cost to fill empty airwaves. AM, at the very bottom of the spectrum, has to take what it can.

I take the path of least resistance - I just change the station if I don't like it.

 

[AnnaG]

If I can't find anything I like listening to on the radio, I hit the off button. I'm not afraid of my own thoughts and sometimes I just enjoy the silence.

 

[Walter]

I'm fed up with our public airways being used in this manner. Corus Entertainment should be ashamed to sell this product of ignorance and stupidity to the Canadian People.

It's TV I'm disappointed in. There's no program that discusses important topics interactively with the viewing audience, hence the appeal of talk radio.

 

[Nuggler]

Check out Lowell Green on CFRA 580'AM. If you're lucky your radio won't pick it up.

He makes Colpy look NDP.........sheesh!!

But, really, you should be able to change to FM, or take a hammer to the radio if the off button doesn't work.

 

[JLM]

"The extreme Left is no better; they view Conservatives and neaderthals, morons, etc. For the most part this isn't true." - We've seen something pretty close to that right on this forum. It's amusing how these parties can bad mouth each other, when in fact they are much more alike than different, mainly steeped in corruption and greed.

 

[JLM]

As far as radio goes things have changed a lot. Back in the old days (around '59) FM was very rare, all regular folks listened to AM, maybe a few high toned people listened to FM.

 

[damngrumpy]

Before I took up farming, I spent more than 30 in radio both as a DJ and in radio
news. This all started back in the 1970's when bean counters took power of the
airwaves. Before that creative people programmed and the sales department
sold advertising. Then came the first hard print programming, they told you when
to deliver weather, and other features. They taught the new kids in formal
broadcast schools so the all sounded and behaved the same. Before long all real
individual thought disappeared. the bean counters preferred right wing voices of
conservatism to the left wing voices of liberalism. About this time FM radio took
the younger audiences off into a musical la la land and the AM stations were left
to re-define themselves. Like a collection of talking heads, the open line stations
were born. People wanted music on FM for sound and AM was left to its own
devices. Remember AM positions on the dial are owned by the same people that
own FM and if they abandoned the licence for AM someone creative might come
along and use that channel presenting competition and wouldn't that be a bad
thing. I got fed up and left back in the early 190's because I saw what was coming
and I realized I couldn't be part of that whole mess. That is what happened to
AM Radio hope that answers your question.

 

[Walter]

Rush saved AM radio.

August 1, 2003
Rush Limbaugh hit the 15-year milestone with his daily talk show. Whether you agree with his politics or not, the conservative entertainer really did set a new standard for talk shows and practically saved AM Radio.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Turn Your Radio On - The Unions' Answer to Right-Wing Static [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]by Thom Hartmann[/FONT]​

....​

Recently Sean Hannity proclaimed to the world that more than a decade ago Rush Limbaugh had single-handedly "saved AM radio." And there's more than a grain of truth in the usually-hyperbolic Hannity's comment: AM stations were losing music listeners to better-sounding FM stereo stations steadily through the '70s and '80s, and the advent of right-wing political talk brought listeners back into the AM fold.


Thursday, July 03, 2008

Excellent! [Peter Wehner]


Media reports here and everywhere are that Rush Limbaugh agreed yesterday to stay on the air for at least eight more years, for a deal worth more than $400 million, including a $100 million signing bonus.
It’s always nice to see excellence – including Excellence in Broadcasting (EIB) – recognized.
Because Rush is involved in the day-to-day political debate and has been such an important presence for two decades now, it’s easy to lose sight of all he has achieved. He is the man who almost single-handedly saved AM radio. He was the original embodiment of the “new media.” And he is the trailblazer in a profession – conservative talk radio – that is now flourishing, both nationally and locally, and which has become part of our political landscape. Limbaugh’s contributions have been enormous, and in twenty years he has never lost his appeal or audience support He’s still at the top of his game. In that sense, he reminds me of Johnny Carson, who dominated late night television every night he was on and gave an assist to many others along the way.
$400 million is a lot of money. And you know what? He’s worth every penny.

 

[weaselwords]

Doesn't Rush have enuff to crow about without this?

 

[Liberalman]

the shortwave bands are full of the religouse fanatics

 

[Dixie Cup]

I actually enjoy talk radio. It gives me an idea of what people are thinking about. For the most part, Green and Adler make a lot of sense of things. They're not blubbering "religious" fanatics as is portrayed here but reasoned individuals. If you disagree with them CentreBlock, why not call and challenge them? Its called "discourse" and there's certainly not enough of that going around.

It drives me crazy when individuals call each other down rather than discuss in a calm, reasoned manner why they don't agree. Even if nothing is resolved, you can "agree to disagree". Calling people down just proves that you're no better then they are and we all lose.

JMO

No wonder this world is going to hell in a hand-basket!!

 

[weaselwords]

Bring back Ed Needham

 

[ShintoMale]

the shortwave bands are full of the religouse fanatics

all of them are based in the U.S.A

 

[TenPenny]

There's an interesting talk radio show out of NYC, it's on all night (and I mean, all night), it's hosted by Joey Reynolds (former radio DJ, former Hollywood movie ad/merchandising man)...while he's sometimes a knob, and he worships Cadillacs and doesn't understand Canadian Medicare, he interviews interesting people.

WOR, 710 am. I can pick it up here unless the weather's bad. I also get a kick out of the reports on Bloomberg (1300, I think), where at 4 am they are giving traffic reports...

 

[taxslave]

As far as radio goes things have changed a lot. Back in the old days (around '59) FM was very rare, all regular folks listened to AM, maybe a few high toned people listened to FM.

That was because outside of the city AM was all we could get. Many places where I lived CBC was all we could get. Bless the man that invented satellite radio.